Home / Alabama / Dekalb

F4 tornado in Dekalb County, Alabama

Tornado March 27, 1994 · Dekalb County, Alabama

Rating

23.0 mi

Path length

700 yd

Path width

Injuries

$5.0M

Damage as recorded

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 700 yards (0.40 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F4 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F4 meant devastating damage: well-built houses levelled; the scale paired it with winds of 207–260 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A tornado struck near the Grove Oak area in the western sections of Dekalb County moving northeast through the towns of Rainsville, Sylvania, and Henager. In the path of the tornado, Emergency Management personnel reported 16 homes and 13 mobile homes completely destroyed, 45 homes and two mobile homes with major damage, and 21 homes and nine mobile home with minor damage. Two businesses and 12 poultry houses were destroyed.

Began near Grove Oak To Rainsvil (34.4300, -85.9800).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 10314418. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.